Amsterdam bans cruise ships to curb over tourism
Friday, July 21, 2023
Amsterdam’s city council is taking a bold step to limit mass tourism and address pollution by closing a cruise ship terminal in the city center. The decision comes as part of the city’s sustainable ambitions and aligns with efforts to restore the tranquility of the historic center.
The closure is backed by the center-right party D66, which governs Amsterdam alongside the social democrats PvdA and the GroenLinks environmentalists. The authorities have cited concerns over the environmental impact of polluting cruise ships and their incompatibility with plans for a new bridge between the historic southern district and the Noord district, which is the focus of recent development projects.
The central cruise terminal, located on the River IJ near Amsterdam’s main train station, is set to be shut down. This measure follows other recent efforts to manage tourism and maintain the city’s cultural integrity, including a ban on smoking cannabis in the red-light district and a “Stay Away” campaign targeting tourists planning drug and alcohol-fueled parties.
The decision to ban cruise ships is also expected to contribute to lowering air pollution levels in the city. A study in 2021 revealed that one large cruise ship produces the same level of nitrogen oxide as 30,000 trucks per day, highlighting the significant environmental impact of these vessels.
With these measures, Amsterdam aims to strike a balance between welcoming visitors and preserving its unique cultural heritage and natural environment. By prioritising sustainable tourism and reducing pollution, the city is taking crucial steps towards ensuring a more responsible and enjoyable experience for both residents and visitors alike.
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Tags: Amsterdam, over tourism
One reply on “Amsterdam bans cruise ships to curb over tourism”
It’s a great idea to ban cruise ships as they are a major contributor to destruction of the seas, bays, and ports.
But make no mistake what is driving this train… the Mayor Halsema and her Christian Party members have been on a tirade for the past years to eliminate coffeeshops and shutdown the Red Light District — AND — to discourage Tourism as a whole!!
Their bread & butter here in A’dam is in the tourism sector.
The mayor’s anti-Tourist mandate is finally showing its affect on businesses. Local businesses are making official complaints as they struggle to survive, and major companies are packing-up and moving out due to drop in sales, etc.
Yet the Mayor is happy to allow hundreds of thousands of visitors in the coming days as the city approved a Two-Week “Queer Celebration”. A massive gathering to say the least.
With this approved circus comes annoyingly constant noise above legal decibel levels, countless “parades” in the canals leaving a trail of paper, plastic, rubber, and misc. waste in the water between almost every main canal artery here in this otherwise fairly clean city.
What is going on here??